Ferrari Heritage

We have always tried to look ahead, but without ever losing sight of Enzo Ferraris heritage. We are selling dreams, full of technology and innovation, which are also the fruit of craftsmanship, with the special capacity to transmit emotion and passion. Ferrari continues to be based on its most important values: the patrimony made up of men and competence, the special relationship with its customers, who are also its ambassadors, and in the races. And all of this is framed by its exclusivity; a Ferrari needs to be desired.-- Ferrari President Luca de Montezemolo, celebrating Ferraris 60th anniversary

Enzo Anselmo Ferrari was born in Modena in 1898 and grew up with little formal education but a strong desire to race cars. During World War I he was a mule-skinner in the Italian Army. Enzo became sick from a widespread flu outbreak, was discharged from service and upon returning home found that his familys firm had collapsed. Having no other job prospects he tried to find work at Fiat and eventually settled for a job at a smaller car company called CMN, where he redesigned used truck bodies into small passenger cars.

He took up racing in 1919 on the CMN team, but enjoyed little initial success. He left CMN in 1920 to work at Alfa Romeo. In 1923, racing in Ravenna, he acquired the Prancing Horse badge which decorated the fuselage of Francesco Baraccas (Italy's leading ace of WWI) SPAD fighter, taken from the wreckage of the plane after Baraccas mysterious death. (The prancing horse would, of course, later become the Ferrari symbol known worldwide.)

Enzo continued to work for Alfa Romeo until 1929 when he started Scuderia Ferrari as the racing team for Alfa. Over the next several years, Ferrari managed the development of the factory Alfa cars, and built up a team of over forty drivers, including Giuseppe Campari and Tazio Nuvolari. Ferrari himself continued racing until 1932 when his first son was born. Named Alfredo Ferrari, and known as Dino, his son died from muscular dystrophy in 1956 at age 24. (Enzo wore dark sunglasses virtually every day after Dinos death as a tribute to his son.)

Alfa Romeos support of Scuderia Ferrari lasted until 1933 when financial constraints forced them to withdraw. Pirelli stepped in to finance the cars; yet, despite the quality of the Scuderia drivers the company won few victories. Then in 1937 Alfa took control of its racing efforts again, reducing Enzo Ferrari to Director of Sports under Alfas engineering director. Ferrari soon left the company, but a contract clause restricted him from racing or designing for four years.

So, he set up Auto-Avio Costruzioni, a company supplying parts to other racing teams. During World War II his firm was involved in war production, and following destruction from bombing, they relocated from Modena to Maranello. It was not until after World War II when, in 1945, he founded Ferrari S.p.A and started making cars bearing his name.

A New Era of Racing
Ferrari has participated in the Formula 1 World Championship since its introduction in 1950 but the first race victory was not until the British Grand Prix of 1951. The first championship came in 1952 to 1953, when the Formula One season was raced with Formula Two cars. The company also sold production sports cars in order to finance its Formula One racing, where the company enjoyed the successes of Juan-Manuel Fangio (1956), Mike Hawthorn (1958), Phil Hill (1961) and John Surtees (1964). They also had success in events such as the Mille Miglia and Le Mans, where the company won 14 victories, including six in a row from 1960
to 1965.

In the mid-1960s the problems of reduced demand and inadequate financing forced Ferrari to
allow Fiat to take a small stake in the company. In 1969 they increased their holding to 50% of the company; in 1988 it increased to 90%. Today, Pierro Ferrari owns some of the company, with Fiat and some outside investors as large stakeholders.

Enzo Ferrari, who remained managing director until 1971, had an influence over the firm until his death at age 90 in Modena in 1988. The diversity, enduring value and tradition of the many sports, GT, 2+2 and supercar models released by Ferrari S.p.A. during Enzos lifetime and since his passing are testament to the mans desire to share his love of fine car craftsmanship for generations to come.

Maserati Heritage

Officine Alfieri Maserati was founded on December 1, 1914 in Bologna, Italy. Since then, Maserati has played a consistently important role in the history of sports car culture and its development. Nearly a century of activity has brought with it glorious achievements both on the road and the track as well as more challenging times, which have helped forge the companys character and personality.

However, Maseratis history involves more than its glorious sporting achievements and the launch of great road cars. The company has also developed industrially over the years. Today our pride is reflected in the values that define the brand - innovation in the management of human resources and the working environment, and transparency in customer relations.

Its relocation from Bologna to the current site in Viale Ciro Menotti, Modena, in 1940 and its acquisition by Ferrari, completed in 1997, are just two examples of the many major events in the development of Maseratis expansion strategies and the launch of its new cars.

Maserati is a brand that began life in a local context but then went on to become a major international player, with representation in 61 countries.